1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to containers for shipping flat glass.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art and Technical Problems
Corner protectors are normally used in combination with containers for shipping sheets of glass. The corner protectors are used to prevent damage to the sheets of glass when they are accidentally dropped.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,771 there is disclosed a package for storing and transporting rectangular glass photographic plates. The package includes a plate carrier member provided with ribs for keeping the plates separated from each other in general parallel relationship, a lid which is placed on top of the plate carrier member, and cushion members of a resilient member which extends normal to the plane of the plates. The resilient member is disposed to contact a portion of the edges of the plates to prevent the plates from rattling between the ribs.
Although the prior art corner protector, e.g., those disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,771, are adequate to absorb shock imparted to the glass plates when the container is accidentally dropped, they are not employed properly to (1) provide adequate protection against stress or pressure points and/or (2) prevent the outermost sheets of glass from slipping between the corner protectors and sufaces of the container.
For example, the problem of stress or pressure points occurs when the corner protectors or ribs maintain sheets of glass in spaced relationship to each other and/or outermost sheets in spaced relationship to adjacent surfaces of the container. When the container is accidentally dropped, major surfaces of the glass sheets or plates bend at the interface with the corner pads or ribs. This bending moment sets up stress or pressure points which can cause the glass to fracture.
In the instance where the corner protectors are provided such that they are flush with a stack of glass sheets, the problem encountered is that during shipment or handling, the outermost glass sheets of the stack tend to slide over the surface of the corner protectors between the top or bottom portion of the container. When the container is accidentally dropped, there is no protection for the outermost glass sheets and the glass sheets are damaged.
It would be advantageous therefore if a corner protector was provided in combination with a shipping container to eliminate the occurrence of stress or pressure points while preventing the outermost glass sheets from sliding between the corner protector and inner surfaces of the container.